15 Weird, Random, and Kind of Hilarious Things All Working Moms Go Through

Why didn't Sheryl Sandberg warn you about any of this?

While the “Lean In” movement is inspirational (We can have it all! Screw the glass ceiling! Sleep is for the weak!), there’s one major aspect of it that people keep forgetting: Being a working mom ain’t easy. Balancing a career, life, relationships, and oh, raising a child, can get just a wee bit tricky. Even Katherine Heigl recently admitted that being a working mom made her “angry.” From celebrating random little freedoms to embracing dust bunnies, here’s what really goes down when you’re a working mom.

You Looove Peeing at Work
Going to the bathroom at work is 1,000 times more awesome after you have a kid—you can shut the door! You don’t have to chase a pint-sized person mid-stream! That kind of quality alone time just isn’t available at home during daylight hours.

You Get Inspired By Yourself
You’ve already made breakfast, gotten your kid and yourself dressed, maybe squeezed in a run, showered, and prepped stuff for dinner by the time other people are waking up for work. Self high five!

You Set Phone Reminders Every Day
And thank goodness you do because you can’t even remember what the damn reminder is for until you actually read it.

Your Place Is Kind of Messy
And by “kind of,” we mean “definitely.” Hey, something’s got to give, and that something’s your bathroom toilet. Besides, dirt helps your body build up its immunity, right?

You Secretly Look At Photos of Your Kid In the Bathroom
Dealing with a crazy client? Boss acting sucky? A few hits of baby pics can cure a lot.

You Become a List Person
While other people doodle during meetings, you’re writing a grocery list. You even make lists reminding you to make lists. Sticky notes? You just might cease to function without them.

You Mentally Track What Your Kid Is Doing Throughout the Day
“Okay, so right now he’s eating lunch…napping…thinking about how his mommy is way cooler than Cecilia’s mommy, with her shiny blowouts and show off-y homemade treats for the class.” Ahem.